


Everything Must Go

by herbailiwick



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Christmas Presents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 17:11:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18664753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herbailiwick/pseuds/herbailiwick
Summary: Winter Writing/Drawing ChallengeDay 04 - BooksSlightly related to "The Magical Snowman and the Blustery King".Written 12/02/2012.





	Everything Must Go

There were books sitting in Sebastian’s regular spot on the sofa. He picked them up and carefully set them on the coffee table, keeping the edges straight. Jim watched him with a bit of amusement.

“Had a bit of a drink,” admitted Sebastian. “Wasn’t gonna turn down an offer to come over, though, was I?”

“I hate the holidays,” Jim said absently. “I find them dreary. A pointless celebration for a baby I could care less about, people crying over electronic devices and pasta strainers, and let’s not forget the ‘miracles’ of the season. Tacky decorations, platitudes a wise man would sneer at, trinkets and messes and fatty foods.” He shook his head.

Sebastian shrugged. He had to agree, for the most part.

“Those books. I don’t need them anymore.”

Sebastian leaned forward, studied the titles one by one as he laid them out side by side. “These are all new,” he said, face lined with suspicion.

“I don’t need them. Throw them out if you want,” Jim said. “Let me get the biscuits.”

Sebastian ran his fingertip over the raised title of the book nearest him in thought.

“Just don’t let them stay here,” Jim said, the sound of his voice startling Sebastian, who pulled his hand away.

“…I won’t,” Sebastian said.

The truth was, as Sebastian could see and as Jim wanted him to see, the books weren’t at all to Jim’s taste. He’d bought them for Sebastian.

“I. I, er,” Sebastian said, staring at the titles and scratching at his head as Jim brought out the biscuits. “I have something I need to get rid of too, I’m sure, lying around somewhere. Should I come and show it to you, see what you can do to take care of it?”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “No. Don’t worry about it.” He thought the subject was dropped, and, well, Sebastian reasoned, it probably should have been.

But, as Sebastian took up his books the next morning before he left, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little wrapped present, setting it on the empty table. Cuff links, a small pair of silver Indian elephants.

They never mentioned them, of course, but Jim wore them on his most special occasions, and Sebastian read the books at Jim’s with his feet propped up, leaned close to Jim, cuddled against him, and then he reread them, and that said enough for both of them.


End file.
